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First appearance set for Burns on new charges

Brian Burns of Harrisburg, who is already facing murder charges, will make his first appearance next month in Saline County Circuit Court on new charges of solicitation, conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping, and attempted aggravated kidnapping.

Court date has been set for Nov. 22.

Burns is alleged to have attempted to pay an undercover Saline County Sheriff's Office detective, David Blazier, $1,000 to kidnap State's Attorney Mike Henshaw.

Earlier this week, Henshaw filed a motion with the court to request a special prosecutor to try the new case against Burns. The motion describes how Henshaw prosecuting the case could be a conflict of interest, because the state's attorney is the alleged victim, which could create an appearance of impropriety if his office were to prosecute the case.

The court granted the order, and a special prosecutor will be appointed in time for Burns' next appearance.

A new face will also be on the side of the defense during Burns' next appearance. Burns has retained new counsel in Bryan Drew of Drew & Drew, P.C. in Benton.

Drew will be representing Burns in both of the cases he is involved in, replacing Marion attorney Nick Brown of Lawler Brown Law Firm in Marion.

Burns is currently awaiting trial on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a body in connection with the death of his estranged wife, Carla.

Henshaw said that Judge Walden Morris, who is currently presiding over the original case against Burns, would try the new charges if they are filed as a separate case, unless he were to recuse himself.

Burns will also appear in Saline County Court at 2 p.m. on Oct. 27 for a status hearing in his original case, According to Drew, Burns' trial for his original charges is still expected to begin in March of 2017.